7

May 2007

Alice

Oh boy! I never thought I would say this, but I miss Phil! He had to go to camp last week for a month for spring training or something and Renée has been in a temper ever since he left.

Nothing is right for her. I'm tired of being shouted at all the time! I know I don't manage to get everything done as quickly as I could, but I do have lots of homework! It wouldn't kill HER to put the washing on occasionally. Mrs. Vaughn was ill this week and I spent quite a lot of time at her house, but Renée wasn't happy about that either. Then she even had the nerve to tell Phil SHE had insisted that I go look after the old lady!

I don't mind looking after my old teacher, she is a wonderful person. I'm just worried that she is actually a lot sicker than she lets on. I'm sure that she hasn't been able to keep any food down for days, but she insists that she eats something while I am at school.

I wish I could call her a doctor, but I know we cannot afford it, and she won't let me tell Phil in case he risks his job coming home to her.

What should I do? Alice help! Tell me!

Alice called Carlisle, who happened to be in Phoenix for their turn of babysitting, he waited until the sun had gone down for the evening and visited the teacher the second Bella left. He was saddened to realize that the old lady had rather advanced cancer of the bowel, and she had known about it for some time.

He was shocked to find out that the shrewd old lady knew who he was the second he arrived on her doorstep. Bella had told her how friendly he and his family were, back all those years ago and she had never forgotten her description of his rather unusual features.

The two of them had spoken frankly about Bella and what would happen to her once the old lady was gone. Carlisle promised her that the family was watching her, she smiled and nodded her head, not surprised at this news, it seemed that various times over the years she had suspected someone was watching out for her young friend. He explained why they had not intervened as yet (though he didn't mention visions of the future, just that they were trying to keep her out foster care) and by the time he left the protective old lady she was satisfied that her young friend would be fine.

She died three weeks later, just after Phil returned. Bella was devastated.

September 2008

Alice!

I don't believe it! My mom and Phil are going to get married! She has had me filling out forms for the past 2 days so we can get me a passport (by we I mean me, she even made me pay for it myself!). She plans on a beach wedding in Mexico in November and had 'forgotten' that when she went on that cruise last year when Phil was training, that I didn't go! How can you forget not taking your daughter with you on holiday? I have a feeling she didn't forget, that she never intended me to go with them, but Phil put his foot down and ordered her to get me a passport.

She says I can't be a bridesmaid (as if I want to be) because if she has a beach wedding in Mexico the trip will cost too much to get me a dress. Also my kind mother says I have to make sure I don't get in too many of the pictures, after all it's HER wedding!

I think (read: hope) that Phil is going to put his foot down about it and stop her when he sees the full extent of her scheme. The plans she has made are just so expensive I don't think they can afford them, the dress she has picked out is almost $900. Luckily I don't have to worry about money any more. When Phil is at home he is the one to sort out the money now. Let him have the headaches of telling Renée she can't have $200 a month to waste on new clothes and going out with her friends! (I bet she doesn't realize that when she marries Charlie will stop paying alimony!)

I'm dreading baseball season next year though! It was bad enough this year when Phil had to go on the road for 2 months and he told her she couldn't go with him because she had to stay and look after me. She didn't even tell him she had given her notice in at work ready for travelling all over with the team. In the end she told him that she was so ill when he left that the school sacked her. I'm actually surprised they never did sack her to be honest.

Oh! You will never believe this (or maybe you will!) The new geography teacher at my school used to work at Renée's school as a relief when her children were younger. I found out from her that all those times Renée wasn't to be reached when I had an accident, she had called in sick and wasn't even in school!

I almost laughed in the teachers face when she asked how Renée was, knowing how often she was 'seriously ill'.

She forgot my birthday again by the way… I would say I'm shocked but I don't think she has remembered one since I was seven or eight. Phil bought me a second hand computer and printer but Renée says we cannot afford an internet connection, at least I can use it for school work though. Ahh well, only ten months and I can hopefully spend two weeks with my dad in California, I very much hope next year he will be able to actually get the time off, I was so disappointed this year when he had to cancel and have the holiday in Forks as usual… but at least we had some fun.

Miss you loads A

B

At last! Alice knew as soon as the email came in that the time was now. She contacted Rose and let her know that she and Emmett wouldn't have to stay in Phoenix much longer and started arrangements for the family to enrol at Forks High school.

June 2009

Alice.

I was right.

I can't stand this much longer! Phil left with the team last week and she has been … I just don't have the words.

She spent all day Monday telling me that I will never amount to much as I don't go out and socialize with people. When do I have time? Honestly!

Then, yesterday, she decided to sort out her wardrobe. She had loads of dresses and stuff in there that she has never worn! Some of the dresses cost over $100! Can you believe it? Who would pay $100 for a DRESS?

She told me to give her the shopping money Phil asked me to look after so she could have them all dry cleaned!

What am I supposed to do?

Added to which she has had the nerve to get me a job. Not that I mind working, I'm quite excited to be honest, but shouldn't I have some say in it?

The job is at the local burger place, I start tomorrow night, 60 hours a week to start with (the boss said he usually starts people at 20 hours but Renée persuaded him to give me all the shifts he can!) At this rate I will be able to afford to get a car and save for college. Maybe next year I will be able to attend! God I hope so.

TTFN

B

Alice!

I know I only wrote yesterday but I just had to tell you. She has just informed me I have to pay her ½ my wage for living here! I wonder what Phil will say to that when he gets back! (AND, she tells me, I have to still do all the housework too!)

Sorry just had to have someone to vent to…

Alice ground her teeth, it was something she only did when Renée was involved in her visions, but this time it was more. Bella, at a local Walmart, looking through jeans to find any damaged ones so she could ask for a discount. She had got her first pay packet and Renée had taken not only the half that she insisted on, but had gone looking in Bella's bedroom while the girl was at work and had taken an extra $40! Bella had to have new clothes for work, and that money was supposed to pay for them. Alice shuddered at the thought of having to wear $20 jeans. They fit terribly! She grabbed her laptop and began ordering Bella some decent clothes. Once she got to Forks she would never have to go around looking like she had robbed a street person for something to wear again!

Esme was now the only Cullen in Phoenix. Carlisle had taken a post at Forks hospital and the 'children' had started school. It was hard for the family, Carlisle especially, not having Esme around, but she was happy knowing that things were now at a point where she would soon have both her missing children home at last.

In September Alice told Bella that in a 'surprising' twist of fate that the family had relocated to Forks Washington. She asked her friend if next year, she would be up to actually visiting her father at home once more, rather than California which she had planned. And plans were finalized to let Bella into the Cullen secret.

January 2010

Bella got off the plane in Port Angeles, her worldly goods packed into 2 small ragged suitcases, that could have fallen apart at the slightest mistreatment, and one carry-on.

Her father was there to pick her up, in the cruiser. Bella groaned as soon as she saw him in uniform. He had a truck for God's sake! Why couldn't he have picked her up in that? However taking the truck meant unhitching the trailer with the boat on and he said he only just made it to the airport after his shift at work, without all that 'messing' about.

Charlie didn't see anything wrong with using the cruiser, it was permitted by the department, and Bella didn't want to start her new life with him by upsetting him. It wasn't that she was ashamed of his job, she was very proud of him. It was just that, every time she was riding in the police car, she felt people watching them, wondering if she was a villain or something. Having spent her whole life trying to avoid notice, a police cruiser wasn't exactly the most subtle vehicle to arrive in.

She was impatient to get to Forks at last, and Charlie was thrilled for her to be there again, though he wasn't exactly overflowing with words about the situation, she could feel the suppressed aura of joy and satisfaction that he had around him.

They got to the small town at 6pm and her father carried her bags up to her room for her and after a few brief words, left her alone to unpack. That was the good thing about Charlie, though he didn't treat her with the same indifference that her mother did, he didn't hover.

The first thing she did was boot up the creaking second-hand (or third or fourth hand, it was Windows 95!) computer he had put on the desk in the corner for her. She thanked her luck that he had run a cable from the computer all the way through the house to the phone socket so she could have the internet. As soon as the machine was fully loaded she opened the email programme and configured it to her account to see if any news from Alice had arrived.

Alice had asked her not to tell her father about them being friends until after she arrived. And though Bella was extremely curious as to why that was, she did as she was asked. After all this was her only friend for years, she knew everything about Bella and had never let her down.

There was an email waiting, Bella opened it up.

Bella,

I can't wait to see you again after all this time! Your dad will be at work tomorrow so if it is ok with you I would love to come around, after he has gone, to see you. You will understand why tomorrow, I promise!

Love A

Ok, that was strange. Why shouldn't she tell her father that she knew Alice and her family? Everyone in this town knew everyone else and it would be a miracle if he didn't know Mr. Carlisle and his family, even if they were relatively new to the area.

Bella pulled a box of floppy disks from her carry-on bag and loaded the contents onto the machine (thank god she hadn't put them on CD as she just then realized it didn't have a CD drive). She imported all her email history onto the HD and then spent some time going over all the posts the pair had exchanged over the course of eight years.

Over that time Alice had several times mentioned her brother and sister, and her boyfriend Jasper, who also lived with the family, as well as her mother and father. Bella felt as if she knew them already.

Emmett was the eldest, though she had no idea just how much older than Alice he was, and Alice said he was a huge mountain of a man. He went out with Rosalie, the next eldest. Bella wasn't sure exactly how the family worked, she hadn't ever had the nerve to ask. But she did know that all the children were adopted, and that they had been together for quite some time.

Something about Alice's posts suddenly struck Bella as strange. Her own posts had changed dramatically over the years, from the short, almost impersonal ones when they first started talking (with, at times atrocious spelling) to the rather verbose ones she had sent over the last couple of years. However Alice's posts still seemed to be written by a teenager, even though she must be 25 or 26 now.

25. Even now, at 17, 25 seemed… old. But the tone of the emails had not changed… ever.

Bella unpacked her bags at last. The heavier of the two was packed with the books Alice had bought her over the years and they easily filled the small bookshelf by the bed. The other bag, the smaller, lighter one had her clothes, she quickly sorted through the pathetic collection, stuffing the top drawer of the small chest of drawers and using a small fraction of the wardrobe space. Her clothing was not just pathetic in amount but was wholly inadequate for the region, she knew.

It was 8pm when she ran down the stairs to her father, who was now in jeans and an unfastened plaid shirt over a plain white T-shirt rather than his uniform.

"Hungry?" he asked. She sniffed, but of course there was no sign of food in the air.

"Yeah, I could eat," she said, her stomach reminding her that she had had nothing since a bowl of cereal that morning, which meant that she hadn't eaten in 13 hours.

Charlie picked up the phone and dialled a number off by heart. Bella had almost forgotten his dependence on the local diner and pizza shop.

Within half an hour they were tucking into a large deep pan pizza at the small kitchen table. The mismatched chairs and now slightly dingy paintwork were left-overs of her mother's presence in the house.

It was quite obvious that Charlie hadn't moved on from his marriage. Pictures on the walls of Bella in previous years showed the same wallpaper in the room as was still on the walls now.

If Renée had ever walked into the house she would probably find everything in the same place as she had left it almost 17 years ago. It was rather sad, if she was honest, but at the same time comforting. No matter what happened in Phoenix, Bella was always assured that one place in her life wouldn't change.

After she had washed the plates and left them to drain, she told her father good night and headed off to her room.

"Glad you're home Bells," he said as she started up the stairs. She nodded and smiled and quickly used the bathroom, there was only the one in the house so she had to use it, but she wasn't quite sure if Charlie had any rules about hot water or shelf space, he never had when she visited but living there was different. She decided to just carry on as if nothing changed from her summer visits and if he had rules she would soon learn them.

She undressed and threw her clothes onto the rocking chair that was a left over from the days that this room was her nursery and curled up in the single bed that had been in the room ever since she was 4. Maybe she could get a double bed soon? She had always fancied a double bed and this room was just about large enough. Her room in Phoenix had only just fitted a single bed in it, in reality it was a box room that Renée had insisted was actually a bedroom, the other proper bedroom that wasn't Renée's was full of her junk, the things she had bought on a whim, like the leatherworking stuff years ago, sitting in piles all over the room doing nothing but gather dust.

Bella woke early, the cold of the air penetrated the house. She shivered.

All of her expectations for Forks were being realized. The weather outside was overcast and dismal, a light spattering of rain hit the windows as the prevailing wind sent gusts and flurries around the side of the house. The window frames weren't sealed properly and the temperature in the room was closer to 30 degrees than 40.

She quickly used the bathroom, not worried about meeting her father as she could hear him moving around downstairs.

She dug into her clothes. Renée had promised Charlie that she would, for once, send Bella north with suitable clothing, but of course, she hadn't. Bella glared at the four pairs of shorts that she would probably never wear again except to bed, the tops she usually wore with them would now sit under her one and only thick shirt. A brushed cotton, plaid lumberjack shirt almost identical to the one Charlie wore the night before. Which wasn't that surprising as her father had bought her it 2 years previously on her visit to the town. It was a good job she hadn't grown much since then. Though he had bought it rather large knowing she would only get use from it one month a year.

She shrugged the shirt on over her top, pulled on one of her only 3 pairs of jeans (all well worn and 'comfortable') and made her way downstairs.

She wondered what the job prospects were like in the town. It used to be a logging town "The Logging Capital of the World" it was known as, but from what she could find out on the internet most of the jobs in the area nowadays were at the local prison, 30 or so miles north of the town, but she was looking for something a little more removed from danger, with her luck the prisoners would riot the first day and she would shoot herself in the foot trying to keep control!

However, if she wanted to be at all independent, she needed work, preferably enough so that, put to her meagre savings she could soon afford to buy and run a car, with enough extra to save for her to go to college in a year or so. She would miss her job in the burger bar, but the work was hard and only getting half the wage made her less than enthusiastic to go.

She reminded herself that she had to go to the local bank, and arrange for her money to be transferred. She had paid all her earnings into the bank when she caught Renée going through her bedroom after her first payday. At least now she could put the money into an instant access account, and maybe even get an ATM card. She shoved her money worries to the back of her mind as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Hey, Bells." Charlie looked up over the newspaper sports section as she wandered to the stove.

"Hey," she tried to avoid calling him by any name. Dad didn't sound right to her and she knew he didn't like her calling him Charlie to his face, unlike Renée who insisted on not being called mom as it made her feel 'old'.

"There's coffee in the pot, if you want it." He gestured with his half empty mug at the almost ancient looking kitchen appliance.

"Erm no thanks," she didn't drink coffee, she glanced around and sighed. "I'll just have some cereal," she opened the cupboard where she remembered he kept it, only to find the half eaten packet of Lucky Charms that she had left the last time she was there still sitting on the shelf.

"Oh, damn, right." Charlie said, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a $20 bill. "If you have some time today do you want to do a bit of shopping?" he looked embarrassed, which was more than her mother ever had. "I can drop you at the shops as I go to work, or you can walk later. Sorry Bella, I totally forgot to do any shopping, I got called out to an RTA yesterday when I meant to go, but I promise I'll get it done on Monday, when I have a half a day off, just get what you need for the weekend."

Bella smiled at him. At least he TRIED!

"It's Ok; I don't mind doing the shopping all the time. I used to do…" she stopped mid sentence knowing how much saying things like that in past years had caused arguments between her parents.

"I know, but you ain't in Phoenix now Bella, it's MY job to look after you not the other way around."

Bella gave a small grin as she asked, "Have you learnt how to cook yet?" she asked, he blushed a little. "Really, Dad, I don't mind. I love cooking too. Let me do this, it beats being bored." Charlie brightened as she said 'dad' and she knew she had won the argument. He reached into his wallet and pulled another 2 bills out and handed them to her.

"Is that enough?" he asked.

"I hope so!" she laughed, not remembering a time she had $60 to spend on just food.

"Oh, you'll need transport." He reminded her. She knew there wasn't a chance of her getting to drive his truck. He never unhooked the boat from it and he wouldn't trust ANYONE with his boat. "Billy Black, you remember him?" she nodded, "He was selling that old truck of his, you remember the one you kids all used to sit in the back of when we went to the beach?

She did remember the truck. It was loud and old, but it was solid, and had a great personality.

"I bought it for you, hope you don't mind, Jacob will probably deliver it this afternoon as soon as he knows I'm not around to catch him driving under age," Charlie grinned. Bella smiled widely, probably for the first time in a long time, she felt optimistic.

"Wow, Dad, that's GREAT!" she paused. "You do mean the huge red Chevy?" he nodded and her smile got even wider. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, hoping she could afford it.

"Nothing!" he seemed a little upset that she was offering to pay him back, she didn't understand for a second and then she worked it out just as he told her, "It's a present!"

"Wow!" that seemed to be all she could say, she wasn't sure how to react. Apart from the books Alice had sent every year, Bella didn't remember ever having been given a real present. (Phil had tried to buy her something once but Renée had made such a fuss over it that Bella had asked him not to bother.)

"Yeah well," he got up from the table, disturbing her thoughts and bringing her back to the present. He swilled his cup out, putting it upside down on the drainer, picked his gun belt off the hook inside the front door and fastened it around his hips. "I've got to go to work now, you WILL be ok on your own won't you?" He seemed unsure all of a sudden.

"I'm 17… dad," she smiled at him in reassurance.

"No wild parties while I'm gone." He gave her a crooked grin and she rolled her eyes at him. Both of them knew that even if she had lots of friends in the area she wouldn't be one for wild parties. "See you tonight, I'll finish about 5, want to meet me at the diner?"

"I'd rather cook you dinner," she told him. "Is lasagne OK?"

"Sure, but Bells…"

"I'd like to, honest."

"Ok, see ya!" he left the house, automatically locking the door behind him. Bella rolled her eyes again, he always locked the door, but then left the key under the eaves where anyone could find it. After all, it wasn't likely that anyone in the area would be stupid enough to rob the Chief of Police's house!

She rooted through all the rest of the cupboards, but nothing in them except coffee and a pack of microwave popcorn was in date, in the fridge there was a quart of milk and 48 cans of Rainier beer, she rolled her eyes again and smiled slightly to herself and started to write out a shopping list.

She patted her back pocket to make sure the cash was safe and looked out of the window. She had one coat, and it was a light jacket. If she walked to the shops she would get soaked. She sighed, it was typical of her luck. She wondered if there was a charity shop in town where she could get a decent thick coat at a low price, of course she would have to ask Charlie for the money. She wouldn't dream of just buying something for herself from the cash he had given her. She hated to ask for anything, but was her pride worth freezing to death over? She really should have got some cash out before setting off north, just in case, but things back in Phoenix had come to a head rather suddenly and she could not wait the 30 days to get her money before leaving.

She was startled out of her thoughts by a knock on the front door and she suddenly remembered! "Alice!" she rushed to the door, and remembered that Charlie had locked it only after she tried to pull it open. The key he had given her was on her bedside table upstairs. She turned to go up when she heard the person outside speak.

"Shall I use this key?" Alice asked through the door.

"Yes, if you know where it is!" Bella was astonished that someone new to town would know.

Alice unlocked the door and Bella pulled it open as soon as she heard the bolt of the mortise lock pull back, a huge smile of welcome already on her face.

She stood astounded, her smile turned into a dropped jaw.

"Alice?" she asked, unable to believe her eyes. It wasn't that her friend had changed a lot in the 9 years since they had met, Bella had expected that, no, what was so shocking was that she hadn't changed… at all! Even her clothes were the same ones she had worn the last time Bella had seen her! Bella was also surprised to notice that her friend was tiny, at least a good nine inches shorter than her!

"Bella!" Alice threw her arms around her young friend. Bella could feel the cold even through her thick shirt and she suddenly remembered the same feeling when Mr. Carlisle had put his hand on her shoulder all those years ago. "Breakfast!" Alice held out a paper bag. Bella sort of registered that there were a couple of other bags on the doorstep but she was still processing her friend's appearance.

Without properly knowing what she was doing, Bella took the small bag, opened it and pulled out the bagel and bit into it.

"Alice?" she asked as soon as her mouth was clear of food.

"Bella?" Alice asked in the same tone.

"You haven't changed!"

"I know, why don't we sit down, we have a lot to talk about."

Alice steered her into the living room and to the couch. She quickly brought in the shopping bags and plonked them on the kitchen units and then joined Bella in the living room, carrying an open can of soda which she handed over to her friend.

"But…"

"I know what you're going to say, and yes I know it's impossible, but it isn't really."

"You're 25." Bella bit into the bagel again, only just now registering that it had her favourite fillings.

"Actually Bella, I'm a bit older than 25." Alice knew exactly how this had to go for the outcome she needed. If she had tried to lie or evade the truth their friendship would be in jeopardy, the only path that would bring Bella around in the two weeks they had was to be totally honest.

"How old are you then? Because you look 17… ish." Bella pointed out, thinking now with a 17 year olds eyes that her friend actually could be slightly older than that.

"I'm not exactly sure how old I am, really. I woke up in 1920 in the grounds of a small hospital in Mississippi, if I was 17 then (And Carlisle actually believes I was 19… don't ask me why, it's technical) it means I'd be 107 now, so maybe 109 is more accurate?" Alice told her. Bella stopped chewing the mouthful she was eating and stared. "No I'm not insane Bella, I'm telling you the truth."

Bella swallowed the food noisily, trying to clear her airway as quickly as possible so she could object. She took a swig of her drink to clear her mouth but before she could say anything else Alice spoke again.

"You can come in now." Alice said, not raising her voice at all.

Bella heard the front door open and she turned to face the doorway. "Mr. Carlisle!" She jumped to her feet, he too looked exactly the same as he had.

Bella fainted.